2126 AWARD OF THE FISHERY COMMISSION. 



Q. Do you know the contrary? A. Yes; I know it from catching 

 them. 



Q. When ? A. In 1848. 



Q. I believe in 1848 they were taken a long distance from shore. Can 

 you speak of auy year from 1851, especially during the last ten years, 

 when mess mackerel have been taken beyond three miles from shore in 

 the bay ? A. Yes. 



Q. From your own knowledge ? A. I have not been there since 1851 r 

 and I don't know. 



Q. Are you inspector of fish ? A. No. 



Q. When fishermen come in with a cargo, can the inspector, on ex- 

 amining the fish, tell what have been taken within the limits and what 

 outside ? A. I think he can ; I think I could. 



Q. Could you, when examining fish, tell that certain fish had been 

 caught within ten miles of shore and were eel-grass fish ? A. I never 

 caught any of that kind in the bay. 



Q. You saw them ? A. Yes ; in my own port. 



Q. You easily recognized them? A. As easily as spring and fall 

 mackerel ; they were not so fat. 



Q. You put the limit on your coast, within which eel-grass mackerel 

 are caught, at 15 miles. How far from shore do you place it as regards 

 the bay? A. I should judge about ten miles. 



Q. Your catches in the bay were not very large ? A. No; I always 

 had small vessels. 



Q. Yon never fished inshore? A. No; always at Magdalen Islands. 



Q. And you gave it up ? A. Yes. 



Q. Did you ever fish in Bay Chaleurs ? A. No. 



Q. You never caught any on the west shore or off New Brunswick ? 

 A. No. 



Q. Nor round Cape Breton ? A. No. 



Q. You eventually had to give the business up ; it didn't pay you ? 

 A. I got a, living all the time; I paid my debts and had something 

 left, 



Q. With those small catches ? A. Yes. 



Q. A vessel of the same size which caught two or three times as much 

 would make a very remunerative return? A. Allow me to explain 

 why I got a living on small catches. When I was captain of the Far 

 West I owned one-third of the vessel, and a man who was with me 

 owned a sixth. Mr. Pettingell (I was junior then) and Mr. C. H. Ireland 

 owned the other part of the vessel. They gave me 635 a mouth to sail 

 the vessel, and I derived an equal share with the merchant at home. I 

 hired all the rest of the crew and paid the provision bill, and allowed 

 the vessel 25 per cent. After all duties were paid and provision bill, I 

 drew a straight line dividing the balance. I made up to $1,000 a year 

 in those small vessels. 



Q. Then other vessels which caught three times as much fish must 

 have made a handsome thing? A. They had more men to feed, and 

 pay. 



Q. What was the size of the vessels? A. About 57 tons. 



Q. Were all the vessels about 57 tons ? A. The largest was 62 tons* 



Q. With those returns of fish you cleared $1,000 a year ? A. $1,000 

 in the best year. The average would be about $500. I made a profit 

 on the men more than I caught with my own hands. 



Q. You would not make a great deal out of them ? A. No. 



Q. The chief part was out of the catch of mackerel ? A. Yes. 



Q. When you were making that very fair profit why did jou leave 



